Of Opera Capes and Chamomile Tea
by soymilklatte
Summary: They talk over tea every afternoon. (Coffee Shop AU)


The man in the opera cape was back again. Every afternoon without fail he came in, ordered a cup of tea, and took possession of Bill's favourite chair by the front window. Bill and her best mate Rose had opened this little cafe three years ago. It hadn't been easy; two girls from an estate that no one had expected anything from. Somehow the two of them had managed to save all of their money, pulled together a viable business plan, managed to get approved for a line of credit, and open their little cafe.

Bill loved her life, she loved their business, she loved Rose who had been her best mate since they were kids, but she had no patience for opera cape man. Usually he was Rose's problem as Rose worked from noon to closing and Bill opened the cafe, handled the morning rush, and stayed until Rose arrived but Rose was running a bit late today and so Bill was stuck with him.

She was wiping down the counters when he came up to the register. "Is this the same tea I always order?"

"Not sure since I don't know your usual order but it's what you ordered today."

"I ordered a simple English Breakfast tea with a splash of milk and two sugars."

Bill took a deep breath, "Yes, I remember, and that is exactly what I made you."

"Well, that was my order yesterday as well."

"Then it's the same thing."

"It is different than it was yesterday. Did you steep it for too long?"

Bill rolled her eyes, "No, it steeped for the appropriate amount of time."

"Was the temperature correct?"

"I used boiling water, so, yes."

"Do you still have the envelope this tea was packaged in?"

She gritted her teeth, "It's in the bin."

Before he could get another question out the door opened and Rose walked in, "Sorry Bill. I tried to get here sooner but my appointment ran over and then I had to run home and change. I got here as soon as I could."

"No, worries. If you're all right though I'm gonna head out."

"Yeah, of course. Thanks again."

Bill grabbed her bag and jacket, "See you tonight." With a parting glare at opera cape man she left the cafe and breathed a sigh of relief that he was no longer her problem. Even as she felt a twinge of guilt that he was now, in fact, Rose's problem.

"Hello, Dr. Smith. Have you been behaving or are you harassing Bill again?" She asked with a small smile that suggested she knew the answer; especially if Bill's demeanor had been anything to go by.

"Nothing of the sort. I was merely questioning her about the tea."

"Oh no. What sort of questions? Cause it looked to me like she was getting ready to throttle you."

"Perhaps she has anger management issues," he sniffed haughtily. "Besides, the tea tastes different when you make it. I don't think she prepares it properly."

"Bill has been making tea for as long as I have. I've had her tea many times, everyday in fact since we're flatmates, so I know how good it is and yet, somehow, she didn't make yours 'properly'?"

"Perhaps she misjudged the time. Or possibly the temperature of the water. The slightest deviation can ruin what would have otherwise been a perfect cup of tea."

Rose smiled, "I think you just like giving Bill a hard time."

"Rose Tyler, I am above such pettiness."

"Yes, I know you're a brilliant physicist who spends his days molding the scientific minds of tomorrow," and she couldn't quite stop the giggle that accompanied her sentence.

"You may laugh but you also know it to be true."

Rose tried for a serious expression but a hint of a smile managed to creep in anyway, "I do know that. Now, would you like me to make you your 'proper cup of tea' before your afternoon lecture?"

"I would like that very much. Thank you."

"Go sit down, I'll bring it over to you in minute."

Rose used to hate the quiet early afternoons in the cafe. Lunch was always such a noisy, busy rush and then suddenly, like someone flipping a switch it would become absolutely silent as though no one had ever been there. Then one day, about six months ago, a man wearing an opera cape, of all things, came in, ordered a cup of tea, and Rose's life hadn't been the same since.

At first she thought the man was obnoxious at best. He bombarded her with questions about tea; the brand, the country of origin, water temperature, steeping times, and on and on and on it went. She had never in her life given a cup of tea so much thought and for a little while she resented him for taking what had once been a source of relaxation and comfort for her and turning it into panic triggering stress.

So, Rose really did understand Bill's frustration with the Doctor, as six months ago she had been in her shoes but then she started asking him questions; about his life, his job, his hobbies and the more they talked, the more she came to understand him. The more she came to, genuinely, like and care for him. Now, she couldn't imagine her days without him and she didn't want to.

She prepared two cups of tea, the Doctor's to his exacting standards and for herself a simple cup of chamomile with a bit of honey. She placed both cups on a tray and also chose two pastries from the case before joining him in the little nook he had created for the two of them.

The Doctor took a sip of his tea and gave an appreciative sigh, "There now, you see, this tea is absolutely perfect and I still don't know how you manage it."

She smiled, "I think you just like the fact that all my attention is on you when I make your tea."

He sniffed but otherwise didn't respond.

"Is everything all right, Doctor?"

"Yes, why?"

"I don't know. You seem preoccupied. That's all."

"Yes, Rose, I'm all right. A bit anxious about something but truly, I am fine."

"Do you want to talk about it? I'm not trying to be nosy but it might help."

He placed his cup on the small table, "There is an event at the university. A fund raiser for the science department and as the department head I simply must attend."

"You don't want to go?"

"Not as such, no. It is going to be an evening of trying to get wealthy people to agree to fund various projects. It is an evening of begging in formal wear and the patrons do so love to watch us beg."

"Sounds terrible. You can't get out of it? Say you've come down with a stomach bug or something?"

"No. No, I must be in attendance."

"Well, it doesn't sound like fun but it also doesn't sound like something that would get you so worked up. What else is going on?"

"Well, that is to say, I was wondering if you might like to join me. For the fund raiser. I know I've made it sound horrible. I am undeniably terrible at this, I haven't done it in years."

Rose smiled brightly, "Doctor, are you asking me on a date?"

He blushed, "Yes, I suppose I am."

"Then yes, I would love to go with you."

"You would?" He honest surprise warmed her heart.

"Yes, I would. Doctor, you've been coming here for six months. Honestly, I've been hoping for a while now that you might be interested in seeing me as more than your barista."

He was staring at her in unabashed shock, "Rose, I've always seen you as a brilliant and wonderful woman. Someone who happily takes time out of her day to talk to a lonely old man. How could I not be interested in you?"

"I didn't know that. I had hoped but I didn't know. And the answer is yes, by the way, in case you missed it. I would love to go to the fund raiser with you."

"You really would?," He seemed to light up suddenly, "Oh, well, that is wonderful. I think the evening will prove to be absolutely delightful now."

Rose shook her head and smiled brightly at him, "I think so too. Of course, you do know what this means, don't you?"

"No, what does it mean?"

"Well, for months now Bill has been wanting to set me up with some people she knows but I've been putting her off, telling her that there was someone I was interested in."

He looked bemused, "All right."

"Well, now I'm going to have to tell her that not only am I dating 'opera cape man' but that there's a really good chance that she's going to be seeing a lot more of you."

"And that means?"

"That means that you're both going to have to learn to play nice. I don't want my boyfriend, I guess, and my best mate bickering nonstop."

He took her hand and placed a small kiss to the back of it, "Rose, if making peace with Bill is all that you require, then consider it done."

She smiled, "Thank you."

"Just promise me I won't ever have to drink her sub-par tea again."

Rose rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation but smiled at him all the same.

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm just happy that you finally asked me on a date," she said with a smile.


End file.
